After eating edibles, can you detect the intoxicating tetrahydrocannabinol? Yes, it appears that can be done.
The first time THC has been measured in edible cannabis breath by researchers from NIST and University of Colorado Anschutz.
In the study, 29 participants brought cannabis gums ranging from 5 milligrams to 100 milligrams THC to the laboratory. Participants were asked to give a breath sample before ingestion and then every three hours thereafter.
While participants were asked to abstain from cannabis for eight hours before the study, the researchers detected THC in most of the participants before they consumed the edible, again illustrating that THC can be detected long after consumption — days or even weeks in some cases.
Researchers found that:
- In the 3-hour time period following the consumption of edibles, 19 out of 20 participants had significant THC levels.
- The THC levels of 4 participants remained unchanged.
- The 6th showed only a small decrease compared with their first sample.
In regards to the final result, researchers said that measurements could have missed the window of time in which an increase in THC might have happened.
The study suggests that multiple measurements of breath over time can be used to determine cannabis consumption, regardless of how the drug is consumed. However, there will need to be standards to make sure devices are accurate and correctly used. said Tara Lovestead is a chemical engineer at NIST who was involved in the research.
The study abstract states that “This proof of concept study shows THC concentration can increase in breath after ingestion of edibles infused with cannabis, but breath measurements are uncertain and there is a need for a larger time frame to explore.”
It doesn’t solve the issue that THC can be detected after impairment.
NIST previously published a study demonstrating that it is difficult to use breath measurements in order to tell the difference between a cannabis user who does so regularly, but not recently.
New research on the new technology has been published Journal of Analytical Toxicology